


Spectrum

by Take_Me_To_My_Fragile_Dreams



Series: The Restrictions of Labels [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Photographer, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Attempt at Humor, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Dom/sub Undertones, Dominant Eren Yeager, Erotic Electrostimulation, Genital Piercing, Healthy Relationships, Heroes & Heroines, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Knotting, Levi still has wings, Light BDSM, M/M, Magic, Masochism, Mentions of past child abuse, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Mutant Powers, Orgasm Control, Past Mind Control, Photographer Eren Yeager, Praise Kink, Protective Eren Yeager, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Scars, Shapeshifting, Tattoos, Top Eren Yeager, Villains, Werewolf Eren Yeager, Wing Kink, everyone loves and supports each other okay, mentions of human experimentation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-04-01 06:48:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13992753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Take_Me_To_My_Fragile_Dreams/pseuds/Take_Me_To_My_Fragile_Dreams
Summary: spec·trumused to classify something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite pointsWith Titan's fall and Eren's recovery of his memories, things are on track once again. However, with his powers under control and his original goal accomplished, Eren has one important decision to make: stay to be a part of the new Titan, or return to his normal, civilian life.(Sequel toGrayscale)





	1. Half the Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the second installment of Grayscale! For those of you who might be new, this is not a stand alone fic and I would highly suggest reading Grayscale before this. You don't have to, but little of this will make sense if you don't. 
> 
> I'm super excited to share the boys' next adventure with you, and I must say a huge thank you to any of the readers that have been with me since the beginning of Grayscale and are reading this now. To any who might be new, I thank you as well. I appreciate all of your comments and kudos and they definitely keep me motivated <3
> 
> With that said, unlike Grayscale, this story is not fully finished yet. I have a few chapters already written, but the rest I'm squeezing in between the last few months of uni. Updates will probably take longer than a week due to this, and I ask that you please be patient with me as school wraps up and all of my final projects are due.

After the return of his memories, Eren escaped immediately to Levi’s apartment in the city. They were left alone for a week out of respect for their reunion, before Petra came knocking on their door with an apologetic look on her face and a request to look Eren over to make sure he was truly healed. Still feeling raw from having his mind rewritten all over again, Eren had agreed hesitantly. The relief on Levi’s face, too strong to be hidden, was worth all the poking and prodding when Petra finally told them that he was perfectly sound.

She’d left then, with a promise of further solitude. Confused and still wading through the jumbled haze of his memories, Eren had never felt more grateful for her existence.

She’d given him his phone and laptop before disappearing out the door, since he’d left them behind in his haste to be taken somewhere where he knew he was safe. The moment he’d turned his phone on, guilt had hit him hard. There were countless notifications for texts, all from the friends that remained in Levi’s safe house. Even Ymir, Historia’s rather prickly girlfriend, had sent a sharp text about _‘at least answering Historia, dammit, she was worrying herself sick over his ungrateful ass!’_

Eren had certainly felt ungrateful. His weeks in recovery felt like a daze. A strange dream that felt too real, too loud inside of his head. It overlapped into reality, making once clear memories foggy and jumbled.

He’d done his best to reply to everyone, letting Levi hold him through the overwhelming wave of love and support. He hadn’t felt like he’d had a family in so long. It’d always just been Armin and the friends that he’d made out of convenience. Armin who would be visiting soon, and who would meet everyone, scars and powers and all.

Eren wasn’t ready. He didn’t know if he knew what normal was anymore, and that scared him. He’d been so against being a hero because he just wanted to be like everyone else. To get a degree, follow a dream, and die with it. A clear cut life. Domestic and civilian.

Then there had come Levi. Levi who was everything Eren was afraid to be, yet admired all the same. Levi who was so brave, and kind hearted, and who the world had been so cruel to. Eren wanted to protect him. Wanted to shield him from anyone who might try to add to his scars.

Then, of course, there were the memories.

A distant, quiet part of Eren, remembered what it was like to hate the sight of The Storm; of Levi. Enough to want him dead. A distant part remembered his orders—Erwin’s orders—and burned to go through with them. The first time it had snuck up on Eren, they’d been making breakfast after awaking in one another’s arms, as they had every day since Eren had had his memories restored.

Levi had smiled at him. Had brushed his hair back from his face and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, so sweet it had _hurt_. Eren would remember this fact the most, as he sliced the ham meant for their omelets. For as Levi stretched in the small space of their kitchen, unbroken wing flaring and the scarred side of his face in profile, Eren would be struck still by the thought that it would be so easy to hurt him.

 _Unguarded,_ the voice that Eren wanted to believe was Erwin whispered. _Weak. Open. Vulnerable._

It wasn’t Erwin. It was the monster that plagued his dreams, jaws hungry and eyes glowing.

Eren’s hand tightened around the hilt of the knife. Levi wasn’t paying attention, still sleepy-eyed and content now that Eren was back, and safe. He didn’t know that he was the one in danger. Didn’t know how fast the tables could turn.

It would be so _easy_ —

The knife flew through the air, and hit the metal of the sink with a loud clatter. Levi turned, eyes wide. Eren sank to his knees, hands clutched tight over his ears in an effort to block out the noise.

“Eren,” Levi said, kneeling beside him. He reached for one of his wrists, only to pause when Eren flinched.

“Don’t!” Eren said, too loud and yet, not loud enough to drown out the images of his hands curling around Levi’s throat. Of squeezing and squeezing and _squeezing_ —he let out a broken sob. “Please.”

He wavered, eyes troubled. “Tell me what to do,” Levi implored.

“I need to see Hitch,” Eren decided, barely hearing him. He stood on shaking legs, pulse loud in his ears. He sucked in a sharp breath when Levi caught his wrist, stopping him in his path to the front door. He snarled before he could help it.

Levi’s eyes widened further. His hand let go, and something soft and cool washed over Eren. “A glamour,” he explained, clearly unhappy with Eren going off on his own. Still, he didn’t try to fight. “No one will see you if you shift.”

Eren felt more gratitude rush through his veins. Levi knew he wanted to run; could read it in his restlessness. Eren risked a kiss to his forehead through the _anger, rage, kill,_ **kill** , roaring at the back of his head.

Then, he was gone.

* * *

Hitch looked better than the last time he’d seen her. She’d finally had a shower, the dirt gone from her face and the blood cleaned from her hair. She looked normal. Docile. Eren didn’t trust her one bit.

Her head jerked up in shock when he burst through the door, clearly not having expected visitors. Eyes scanned him, flicking between Eren and the closed door. No one followed. Eren hadn’t let them.

Hitch tried for a shaky smile. “Need more assistance? I might need to charge a fee.”

“Your reward is living,” Eren said darkly. He wasn’t sure where the words came from. He’d never thought of himself as murderous. Had never really wanted to kill someone before.

It was her fault.

There was light coming off of his eyes. His teeth felt too sharp in his mouth, all of a sudden.

She swallowed. “What is it?”

“I want answers.” Eren moved to sit down, before thinking better of it. He paced in the free space in front of the bed that she perched on, restless and wild.

“About?”

“What you did to my head.” He threw a glare her way, lip curling.

Hitch grimaced, eyes following him from wall to wall. “Any part in specific?”

Eren paused. “Yes, actually.” His hands flexed at his sides. He didn’t know what to do with this sudden anger. He’d had trouble containing his emotions as a child, but never like this. He’d never wanted to break something so badly. Not since his parents had died. “You made me into a murderer.”

“Attempted,” she corrected, before thinking better of it. Her face paled when his eyes narrowed.

“Succeeded,” Eren snarled, baring lengthened canines. “You gave me urges, knowledge. I know how to hurt you now. I know what inflicts pain, and I know how to do it. Why isn’t that gone?”

Hitch wrapped her arms around her knees, looking nervous. “I told them that I can’t fix everything. I tied everything together when I was ordered to give you new memories. Everything is connected. The knowledge on how to kill is tied to Levi. I can’t get rid of them without getting rid of him, as well.”

“So you fixing everything, that was all a lie?” He stepped closer, a ringing in his ears. “I’m going to want to kill the man I love whenever I hold a knife? _I’m going to have to protect him from the person he trusts most?”_

In some distant part of his mind, Eren was aware that he was out of control. Hitch scrambled off of the bed, backing away as he advanced. She held her hands up, eyes scared. “The fake memories should fade some! I tried to make them like dreams, or something that you’d read and had stick with you. He should stop making you so angry, eventually. It’ll get easier with time!”

A hand closed around her throat. He slammed her back against the wall, entire face lit with the light coming off of his eyes. “Easier?” Eren hissed. “What about any of this do you think is _easy_? I’ll kill you for this—for hurting him. For even thinking that _you could.”_

Hitch clutched at his wrist, mouth opening and closing uselessly as her face grew purple. “Pl—ease,” she gasped.

Eren sneered, and leaned his weight into his hand.

The door flew open, slamming against the wall. Someone shouted, and a hand shoved at his shoulders. His hand dropped to his side; Hitch fell to the floor, choking on air. Eren took several shaky steps back, before sliding down the wall at his back. He stared at his hands, numb to the voices around him.

What had he just _done_?

He would have killed her, Eren realized, still at the realization. If someone had not intervened, if he had been left alone a few minutes longer…

Hitch would be nothing more than a corpse. Dead by his own hands.

 _What had she_ done _to him?_

 “Eren.” A hand touched his shoulder, and his head snapped up. Levi’s eyes met his own, worried. He didn’t know, Eren thought numbly. He didn’t know that Eren had wanted to put him in Hitch’s place.

“You can’t be around me,” he whispered, eyes wet. “it’s not safe.”

“Like hell I can’t,” Levi said mildly. “I just got you back. I’m not going anywhere.”

“What happened?” Historia demanded, hands on her hips as she surveyed Hitch’s wheezing and Eren’s tears. She looked tired, hair bound back in a sloppy pony tail. Ymir hovered over her shoulder, glaring at the lot of them.

Headache, Eren realized. Historia’s eyes were strained, mouth set tightly. In the weeks he’d spent at the house, he’d learned many things about Levi’s friends. Historia suffered from headaches, Ymir was allergic to chocolate, and Petra liked to sing in the shower, no matter what time it was.

“He’s crazy,” Hitch gasped, clutching at her throat. “don’t ever leave me alone with him. Better yet, lock him in this room instead. He’s the dangerous one.”

“Whose fault is that?” Eren spat back, glare sharp.

“Bite me,” she snapped.

He flashed sharp teeth. “You really don’t want me to.”

“Enough!” Levi said sharply. His head swung back to Eren, scrutinizing him. “Why are you here? What happened this morning?”

Hitch coughed again, when Eren went silent, eyes falling to stare at his hands. “Loverboy was torn up about wanting to kill you. Word of advice? Keep any and all weapons away from him for a few months. Unless you get off on getting stabbed.” She gave a bitter smile. “In that case, you’re welcome.”

Historia’s eyes flitted between the three of them. She grimaced, lifting a hand to her temples. Ymir stepped closer, touching a hand infused with violet magic to the same place. “You assholes need to get your shit together. So he wants to kill. So what? Cry me a river and move on.” She glared at Eren, words sharp. “Don’t do it. We already all know you don’t want to. Stop fuckin’ crying about it and get on with it, moron.”

“Ymir—”

“You’re right,” Eren said, interrupting Historia. He let Levi help him stand, brow furrowed. He had been overwhelmed, that was all. He’d be prepared next time. They would talk about this, and figure things about. Some sort of safe word, perhaps. Eren wouldn’t hurt Levi, fake memories be damned. “I was being stupid. It just surprised me, that’s all.”

Levi looked dubious. Ymir gave a snort. “Understatement of the fuckin’ century, wolf boy. Stop trying to strangle the prisoner and go back to being gross and in love. Historia needs to rest.”

“I’m fine,” Historia protested, as Ymir began to usher her out the door. She scooped her up when she wouldn’t budge. “Ymir! Put me down!”

“No can do, princess.” She looked back at Levi. “You good now, boss?”

He nodded. “I’ll take care of things here. Go on.”

Eren listened to Historia’s stream of complaints, until they grew distant through the separation of floors. Levi approached Hitch, bending down to heal her growing bruises. Eren frowned, looking away from the sight.

“…sorry,” he finally muttered, staring down at her.

She shot him a glare. Slowly, it faded into a faint smile. “Guess I deserved it. That’s your last free shot, though. Next time I won’t hold back.”

Levi stood, brushing off his pants. “Let’s go,” he said shortly, taking Eren’s hand. “We need to talk.”

He grimaced, wary of what that would entail. “Right now?”

Levi shot him an unimpressed look over his shoulder. “You ran out of our apartment in nothing but a pair of boxers and then tried to kill a girl. Yes, right now.”

Well when he put it like that it really did sound bad, didn’t it?

Eren grimaced.

Jean and Marco looked up from the couch when they exited the basement, looking equal parts worried and confused. “What happened?” Jean asked.

“Don’t ask,” Eren muttered on their way past.

“I already did,” he quipped, only to grimace when Marco elbowed his side with a look. He held his hands up in defeat. “Alright, alright, sheesh. We’re just the chamber of secrets around here, call your local Harry Potter while you still can.”

Levi snorted, a small smile playing along the corners of his mouth. Eren stared at it, struck with the sudden need to taste it. His mind was starting to give him whiplash with all the sudden emotional changes, he could only imagine how Levi felt.

He took the passenger side of a car that he had never seen before. It was a small thing. Black in color and fit for a crowded city, just barely big enough for three people to cram in the back. Eren had to shift his seat back in order to fold his legs into the front. Levi rolled his eyes at the sight.

Eren felt a wave of well-deserved guilt when he watched Levi wince, pressure put on his bad wing with the way he had to sit to drive. The offer to do it sat on his tongue, but he knew Levi wouldn’t agree; didn’t blame him after his recent homicidal urges.

“Eren,” Levi started, pulling away from the house. “What happened? I want you to be honest with me. I know things are hard, but we can’t get through this if we don’t talk it all over.”

He sighed. He knew Levi was right, but that didn’t make things any easier. “I remembered wanting to hurt you.” Eren looked out the window, afraid to see Levi’s expression. “It scared me.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean _why_?” He frowned, giving Levi an incredulous look. “I love you! I don’t ever want to hurt you. But I was holding that knife, and you looked so vulnerable all of a sudden, and then it occurred to me how easy it would be to hurt you. Whatever anger Hitch planted in my brain came up, and that’s why I ran. I had to get away, before it got worse and I did something stupid.” Eren sighed, slumping in his seat. “Guess I did something stupid anyways. I can’t believe I tried to kill her.”

Levi was silent for a few long moments. Enough for Eren to get nervous. “I don’t blame you,” he finally said. “I’m not angry either. You worried me. I’m glad that you’re safe, that it was something we could fix.”

“Fix?” Eren echoed.

He nodded, reaching over to take Eren’s hand, the other on the wheel. “You heard Hitch. It’ll go away eventually, if not altogether. This just means you have to talk to me. We’ll put up safe guards. You tell me if you’re having a bad day, and I’ll plan accordingly. Even if it means you want me to leave you alone for a while.”

Eren ran his thumb over Levi’s knuckles. His chest hurt with the amount of affection he felt for this man. “You’re too good to me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Levi looked over at him briefly. He gave a small smile. “That’s good enough for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned before, this story is not entirely written already, so if there are any specific scenes, kinks, character moments etc that you would like to see, please don't be afraid to speak up! As opposed to Grayscale, this fic will probably have a lot more smut in it as I already have several ideas.
> 
> You can also contact me on my tumblr @ my101fragiledreams for any questions/suggestions/comments and so on. <3
> 
> Anything extra I post, as well as updates and so on can be found [here](http://my101fragiledreams.tumblr.com/tagged/fic%3A-spectrum)


	2. A Celebration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait until next weekend to post this but I'm having a shitty day so I decided to put this up now to cheer myself up some

The ‘Outcast Brigade’—as Jean still insisted on calling them, much to Marco’s chagrin—were determined to throw Eren a party. Levi informed him of their decision with a grimace. Still, there was no denying the fond gleam in his eyes. It made Eren wonder just what had happened in his absence. How had his friends gotten along with his boyfriend while he wasn’t there? Well, apparently—if the few moments of interaction he’d seen was any indication, anyways.

“A big party?” Eren asked hesitantly.

Levi shrugged. “Just the ones at the house, from what I understand. They wanted to invite your other friend, but I told them it would be too much.”

“Other friend,” he echoed. What other friends did he have, that they knew about? Surely they couldn’t mean…

Eren sat up straight, eyes widening. “You mean _Armin_?”

A smirk curled Levi’s mouth. “I told them that you’d react that way. They backed off when I said they could meet him soon, since he was visiting.”

He groaned, slumping back into the couch once more. “Thank you. I don’t think I could have handled explaining things to him on top of a party all at once.”

Levi reached over, running fingers through his hair. “Someone has to keep them in check when you’re not around to do it.”

Eren smiled. “When’s the party?”

“Tomorrow.” He met Eren’s eyes, head tipping to the side in a silent query. It was obvious that he would put a stop to the celebration if it was truly what Eren wanted.

The stream of messages he’d received ran through Eren’s mind. He knew that the party was as much for them as it was for him. He couldn’t deny them their want to celebrate their victory—even if he had felt less than victorious lately. “I’ll go,” Eren told him, shifting closer to curl into Levi’s side. “I’m sure it’ll be fun. Is there going to be cake?”

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Obviously.”

Eren elbowed his side. “Are you making it?”

“No,” Levi shook his head. “Marco insisted that we both relax and leave everything up to them. I’m not allowed to bring anything other than you.”

“That’s probably smart.” He glanced over at Levi’s side, where his injured wing hung carefully from his side. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright.” A hand scratched lightly at the small curls at the back of Eren’s neck. His eyes closed with a soft sigh, tension easing from his shoulders under the contact. “It should be healed in a few more weeks. I’ll start physical therapy next week to start strengthening it. It’ll be a while before I’ll be able to take you for another flight, though.”

Eren cracked an eye open at the unsaid apology in his voice. “I’m just glad that you’re okay, it could have been a lot worse. I don’t care about you flying me around as much as I care about you getting better.”

A small smile curled Levi’s mouth. “I’m glad that you’re okay, too.” He said quietly.

* * *

They arrived at the safe house in Levi’s car, several minutes before their demanded arrival of seven. Eren got out of the car, giving a slow stretch. It was nice to be out of the city. Everything was so loud, it hurt Eren’s ears sometimes. The stench of traffic fumes wasn’t much better, admittedly. In the forest, everything was quieter. Easier. He understood why the others hadn’t wanted to leave.

“Does it bother you that everyone is staying here?” Eren asked, as Levi rounded the car.

He was given a look of surprise, as if the thought of being upset had never even occurred to Levi. “No,” Levi said. “I’m glad I can offer a safe haven after everything that’s happened.”

Eren leaned against his side, wrapping his arms around Levi’s shoulders. He was careful not to touch his injured wing, leaning back against the hood of the car as he cradled him close. Levi let out a quiet sigh, arms wrapping around Eren’s waist in turn. He’d looked so sad when Eren had first remembered him. Dark bruises under his eyes from lack of sleep, and a bone deep exhaustion in his face. It was getting better the longer that Eren stayed and showed no signs of forgetting him once more. He knew that he had scared him.

Levi nuzzled into his chest, cheek pressed against the fabric of his shirt to listen to the steady thud of his heart. Eren felt a swell of emotion burn up through his throat, throbbing low in his chest. Levi was so small in his arms. So strong, yet so fragile at the same time.

Eren hated himself for ever wanting to hurt him. For the moments in the future when he would want to do it again.

He would never understand why Erwin had made the decisions that he had.

“I love you,” Eren said quietly, bending down to press a kiss to the top of Levi’s head.

Levi’s arms tightened around him. A soft exhale emptied the air in his lungs, and he melted further still into Eren’s arms. “I love you too, Eren.”

“You’re my safe haven,” he murmured, because it needed to be said. He was tired of the guilt that he sometimes caught in Levi’s eyes. He knew that Levi blamed himself for Eren’s kidnapping. “I always feel safe with you. I have from the moment we first met.”

“I—”

The door to the porch slammed, and Ymir poked her head out with a scowl. “Hey, lovebirds! The food is getting cold, get your asses inside!”

They didn’t get a chance to respond.

A hand reached out to yank on her pony tail, and she disappeared back inside with a yelp. Eren muffled a laugh into Levi’s hair at the sound of Historia’s exasperated chiding.

“Those two are ridiculous,” Levi muttered, detaching himself from Eren’s arms.

Eren held on stubbornly for a few long moments, before finally letting go. He caught Levi’s face in his hands before they could part completely, bending down to quiet the question beginning to form between pale lips.

Eren had fully intended for it to be an affectionate kiss. Slow, and soft, and quick. It was entirely Levi’s fault that that plan backfired.

A soft moan brushed against Eren’s mouth when he slipped a hand behind Levi’s head to card fingers into his hair. The sound lit a fire under Eren’s skin, and before he could think it through entirely, he spun, backing Levi up against the hood of the car instead. A surprised sound answered his actions, only for it to melt into another delicious moan.

Eren lifted Levi’s hips, half sprawled onto the hood in an effort to get closer. One of his hands was planted against the glass of the windshield, something that Levi would probably scold him for when he noticed it during the drive home. As it was, Levi was too distracted with the way Eren was moving his hips, legs wrapping tight around his waist.

“Fuck,” Levi hissed, back arching as Eren bit a line down his throat. “Eren—”

Any further words were swallowed when Eren returned to his mouth once more. His hands were greedy against pale skin, slipping under the fabric of Levi’s shirt while he struggled with balancing them both. It occurred to Eren that it’d been over a month since they’d last had sex—or been intimate at all, really. He’d been kidnapped, brainwashed, and then stuck on bed rest for weeks. They’d been back together for barely eight days since then, and all they’d really done was hold one another as if to assure themselves that they were both safe.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” Levi panted, though he made no move to shove Eren off when he sucked a bruise into the sharp jut of one of his collarbones.

Eren groaned, teeth running over warm skin. He knew that, knew he should stop while they both had some dignity left, but the want swelling in Eren’s stomach was overpowering. Now that the thought was in his head, he wanted to be close. Wanted to disappear into Levi and never come out.

The door slammed once more. “Guys?” Marco said hesitantly. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but the others are close to stormin’ out here to drag you inside themselves.”

Eren barely contained another groan. Levi made a sympathetic sound. Fingers found their way to Eren's hair, and Eren panted into his chest. “We’ll be right in, Marco.”

Eren was glad that Levi had been the one to speak. The only thing that could have come out of his mouth were unruly snarls. Marco didn’t deserve that. No one could yell at Marco, he was too nice. It was probably why they’d all sent him out first, the bastards.

“Shh,” Levi soothed, rubbing at one of his shoulders. Eren realized with a start, that he was growling. His eyes gave off light when he opened them. “Just breathe for a minute. I’m right here.”

He was.

Eren closed his eyes, taking a deep inhale of Levi’s scent. He could hear the beat of his heart, still too fast to be normal. Eren couldn’t help but smile at the sound. Slowly, he calmed, able to piece back together some semblance of control.

“Sorry,” he finally rasped, lifting Levi off of the hood to place him back on his feet. He fixed Levi’s shirt, hands sliding away from bare skin reluctantly.

Levi’s gaze was fond as he ran fingers through Eren’s hair. Trying to give it some sort of order, Eren assumed. “Don’t apologize for that,” he said, lifting onto tiptoes to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

He just barely reached, and another wave of fondness slammed into Eren’s chest. He hugged Levi tight, shoving his head into his neck with a shudder. “I wish we didn’t have this party. I want to take you home.”

He chuckled, scratching lightly at Eren’s scalp. He gave Eren a few long moments to pull away first. When he barely budged, Levi eased him back gently. “Come on, you big brute. You can have me all you want after your friends have celebrated your recovery. Ymir is going to come back out here soon if we don’t get inside.”

Eren sighed, taking Levi’s hand. They made their way to the porch steps, their combined weight setting off several welcoming croaks of wood. Eren pulled open the door, letting Levi inside first. They were met with a range of looks. Most were unimpressed.

“It’s about time,” Jean huffed. “do you know how long Marco spent making all this food? He wouldn’t let any of us touch it until you got here.”

Marco’s eyes rolled. “Quit bein’ a baby. You can eat now.”

A chorus of relief went around the room, and everyone made their way back to the kitchen. Mikasa lingered behind to look Eren over, a smile hidden behind a hand. “Eren,” she said, moving to embrace him. “It’s good to see you.”

He grinned, lifting her off the ground to give her a little spin. As much as he’d grumbled, he’d missed seeing all of his friends. “I heard you kicked some ass on Levi’s team. You have to tell me about it.”

She laughed, giving a nod as she was set back down.

Eren moved to Annie, who stood behind her. He caught her by surprise when he gave her the same treatment. “You too, ice queen. I want to hear it all.”

“Alright,” Annie said, cheeks flushed faintly. She gave him a strange look, before she reached up to pluck a feather from his hair. “Souvenir?” She smirked.

This time, it was Eren’s turn to blush. He took the feather from her hurriedly, shoving it into a pocket. “Don’t say anything,” he warned Levi, who was already chuckling into a hand.

Levi held his hands up, eyes still gleaming with amusement. “My lips are sealed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Historia and Ymir, as well as Jean and Marco, are my favorite couples to write next to Eren and Levi. They're just so fun and I'm excited to show more of them. I hope you guys are too <3
> 
> Tell me what you thought?


	3. The Party Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is more of an indulgent chapter than anything else tbh. I just like writing all of these dorks
> 
> If there's anything blaringly wrong, I apologize. I'm sick rn and everything is a bit of a haze

It was nice being surrounded by people who loved you, Eren decided. It’d been a long time since he’d been thrown any sort of party. Most of his birthdays had been spent with Armin, simply relaxing and enjoying one another’s company. Usually watching a movie, occasionally getting drunk. He was never good with people fussing over him. His mother had always managed to embarrass him in the years she was around to make a big deal out of any of his accomplishments. His father had been more laid back, quieter in his approval.

Historia passed out an assortment of fruity drinks. At Levi’s raised eyebrow, she shrugged. “He likes fruit. Figured it would be better than champagne.”

Eren smiled down at his glass, and the strawberries inside. The stench of alcohol was strong, but it was sweetened with the added juice. He leaned against Levi’s side, letting him wrap an arm around his waist.

“To Eren,” Marco said, once everyone had their own, respective drinks. He raised his glass into the air.

“Pain in the ass extraordinaire,” Jean added. He ducked away before Marco could elbow his side, a hand covering his own drink protectively.

Eren rolled his eyes at the display. “To all of us,” he corrected, raising his own glass. “and Levi’s plan. We all made it.”

From across the room, Reiner let out a booming laugh. “We did,” he said, moving forward to clink his glass with Eren’s.

Levi followed suit when he was given a pointed stare. “To new beginnings.”

“For the love of god,” Ymir groaned, throwing her head back to shoot a despairing look towards the ceiling. “do we all have to say something or can we finally eat some damn food?”

Historia shoved at her, hard enough to nearly send Ymir’s glass flying into Bertholdt. “You’re so insensitive sometimes,” she huffed, straightening to raise her own drink. “to us.”

“To us,” they all echoed, exchanging several more clinks of glasses.

Warmth bloomed in Eren’s chest as he downed a slow sip of his drink. It was sugary. The flavor exploded over his tongue with an edge of bitterness that was just right. He stood back with Levi as Marco and Historia began pulling dishes out of the oven and microwave, where they had been left to stay warm. They were all laid out along the countertop, an assortment of mouthwatering foods that had Eren’s stomach growling from across the kitchen.

“Hungry?” Levi asked knowingly.

He flushed faintly. “A little.”

They moved forward when the others had had their turn, filling plates full with food. Marco had made spaghetti with meatballs—homemade, Eren knew, for he recognized the delicious scent. Buttery biscuits and barbeque chicken were added to the assortment, and Eren dug into the many small platters of finger foods as well. Levi watched him with some air of amusement, shaking his head when Eren ran out of room.

“Here,” he said, holding out his plate. “Just put whatever you can’t fit on yours on mine.”

Eren nodded, adding a few eggrolls as well as some tiny hotdogs wrapped in bread. “Done,” he decided, turning to search for a seat. The bar was already taken by Historia, Reiner and Bertholdt. Ymir leaned against the marble top, seemingly okay with standing so long as she was next to her girlfriend.

The table was a bit crowded too, but they’d placed an extra piece of wood between the two ends to create more space. They’d gotten more chairs from somewhere, and Petra and Marco shifted to the side to create an adequate space for the two of them. Eren sank down into his chair before turning to take Levi’s plate and drink, so that his boyfriend could wiggle into the small space that remained. Levi hissed when his wing was knocked against the chair, and Eren frowned.

“Wait,” he said, stopping Levi from continuing his efforts. He was given a questioning stare as Eren stood to shove away one of the chairs. “You can sit on my lap,” he explained, sitting back down now that he had a decent amount of leg room. “We’re on the corner so you can sit sideways. That way your wing won’t bother you.”

Levi shot him a look. “You just want me to sit on you.”

“In more ways than one,” Eren said cheekily, before growing serious. “but seriously, I just want you to be okay. And I refuse to let you eat out in the living room all alone.”

“We’ll all sit on the floor before that happens,” Marco said firmly. “This party is for everyone to enjoy.”

“Just sit down, boss,” Ymir called, clearly having caught on to what was happening. “it won’t kill you.”

With all eyes on him, Levi sighed. “Fine,” he said, tossing an arm over Eren’s shoulder for balance before sitting down. “Happy?”

Eren grinned, wrapping a careful arm around his waist. “Ecstatic.”

They developed a system since Eren couldn’t lean over Levi to get at his plate. Levi took turns feeding the both of them, cheeks flushed faintly at such a public display. Still, despite all his grumbling, his eyes were soft.

“How are you feeling?” Mikasa asked, once their hunger had been quelled some. “Petra said that you were healed completely now.”

Eren swallowed the pasta in his mouth, giving a nod. “That’s right. I’m perfectly fine, minus my memory issues. What have you guys been doing since I left?”

“We started training again,” she explained. “There’s a pretty big clearing that’s about a ten-minute walk from the house. There’s a waterfall and some water to swim in. We’ve been careful not to hurt the forest too badly. Petra comes with us too; in case something goes wrong.”

“You gonna start joining us again?” Jean asked, raising an eyebrow. “You could probably use the practice.”

“You just want someone else to go up against Reiner and Marco.”

“I’ll take you on any day, Jaeger!” Reiner called, clearly overhearing.

“It won’t be as easy as the first time,” Eren shot back, eyes narrowing playfully over Levi’s shoulder.

“You should work on your melting skills some more,” Annie murmured, tearing off a piece of her chicken. “we can practice with the water.”

“It would be good to see if there’s any leftover effects of magic,” Petra added. “just in case.”

“You mean my arm,” Eren guessed, glancing down at the scar Erwin’s weapon had left behind. It was an ugly thing. Almost like a burn, but black and without the raised lines. It sat a few inches above the crook of his arm, out of view against his side most of the time.

Levi frowned. “I can’t sense any magic on you.”

“It’s just a precaution,” Petra reassured them all. “I don’t think anything will come up, but I’m still looking through Titan’s database. It takes time to get past all of the encryptions.”

“The witch doing it?” Levi asked.

She rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to call them that. They have a name.”

He shrugged, popping a meatball into his mouth.

“You’re welcome to join us at any time,” Marco cut in, looking between Eren and Levi. “Levi too, once his wing is healed.”

“You want to spar with me?” Levi said, with some bemusement.

“Maybe we should do it while he’s injured,” Jean suggested. “we might actually win that way.”

A low growl cut through Marco’s exasperation, and Mikasa’s beginning argument. They turned to look at Eren in surprise, who hadn’t been able to help it. He glared at Jean, arms tightening around Levi protectively. “You’re not going anywhere near him until he’s better. If you want someone to fight, you can fight me.”

“Easy,” Levi murmured, squeezing his arm.

The tension left Eren’s shoulders at the contact. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead against Levi’s shoulder. He took a few deep drags of his scent, before lifting his head with an apologetic look. “Sorry. It’s been hard to control myself lately. Whatever Hitch did to me makes me feel more wolf than human at times.”

Jean shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve gone all werewolf. Besides, I wasn’t serious. Mostly.”

He snorted. “How convincing.”

“No one is fighting me,” Levi cut in, reaching back to tug at Eren’s hair. “I know my limits. Now knock it off. This is a party. You’re going to have cake soon.”

Eren perked up. “What kind?”

All eyes swung to Marco and Historia. Considering the fact that Historia was slumped over onto the bar counter, and looked to already be on her way to being spectacularly drunk, Marco responded. “It’s vanilla with strawberry flavored frosting.”

He practically moaned into Levi’s neck, ignorant to the shiver it pulled from the man. “Marco, you’re an angel.”

“That’s what I keep telling him,” Jean muttered.

Marco blushed, lifting a hand to rub at the back of his neck. Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by Ymir, who slammed a pitcher full of whatever concoction Historia had made for their drinks down onto the table. “Keep this hidden,” she hissed. “and for god’s sake don’t let Historia near anymore.”

“Ymir!” Historia moaned, before nearly falling off of her chair. She blinked sluggishly up at Bertholdt, who had managed to catch her. “You grew a lot. This is just excessive.”

“I’m behind you, princess,” Ymir said, eyes rolling. She helped her back up into her chair, and put a cup of water into Historia’s hands. “Drink that.”

Levi snorted when she sniffed at it, eyes glassy. “S’ it more pink stuff?”

“Sure,” she said, wrapping an arm around her waist when she swayed. “drink up.”

Historia hummed happily, downing the liquid without another word. Eren shook his head in disbelief. “How did she get so drunk that fast? It’s barely been an hour.”

“Low tolerance,” Levi murmured, feeding him a piece of egg roll. His straightened, eyes narrowing as a thought occurred. Slowly, he pointed a fork at each and every one of them. “No throwing up on my furniture. And clean up after yourselves if you do get sick.”

Petra laughed. “You’re surrounded by a group of people in their twenties, Levi, what do you expect?”

“Doesn’t mean they can behave like animals,” he grumbled.

“Wait,” Jean said, eyes widening. “How old are you exactly?”

“Jean!” Mikasa hissed.

“What?” He defended. “It’s a legitimate question. Erwin was in his thirties, right? So he’s gotta be older.”

“Twenty-nine,” Levi said over their bickering. “I turn thirty this December.”

Eren squeezed his waist. They’d never really talked about birthdays, now that he thought about it. But he’d known Levi’s age from his case file, even before they’d met.

“The 25th,” he murmured, quiet enough so only Eren could hear.

He straightened. “That’s—?”

Levi gave a short nod.

Eren hummed, taking that all in. It figured. Levi was his miracle, it seemed fit he was only a Christmas one too. He made a face into Levi’s shoulder at the thought. Maybe the alcohol was getting to him a bit, as well.

“Well I’m stuffed,” Reiner declared, putting his plate in the sink. “Who’s on dish duty?”

“I’ll do it,” Eren offered.

This, was apparently the wrong thing to say. Several pairs of eyes swung to him in disbelief.

“You’re the one we’re celebratin’,” Marco said, voice firm. “Your job is to relax tonight. Jean and Mikasa can do it.”

Levi detached himself from Eren to add their plates to the pile. He ruffled Eren’s hair on his way past when he pouted. “I’ll be back,” he chided.

Eren huffed, staring after him.

“You’re both adorable,” Petra said, giving a shake of her head. “I’m glad Levi met you.”

He flushed under the sudden praise. “Yeah?” He ducked his head, trying and failing to hide a smile. “Me too.”

* * *

Once the dishes were done, they poured into the living room to fall into an assortment of sprawls. Historia went straight for the floor, groaning the whole way. Ymir took a seat next to her, patting her back indulgently as she let out the occasional drunken mutter. Eren took one of the loveseats with Levi. Petra took the other, while Mikasa, Annie and Reiner took the couch. Bertholdt sat between Reiner’s spread legs, hands caught in his boyfriend’s while he stretched his legs out on the floor. Jean and Marco curled up together on an arm chair, seemingly unbothered by the tight squeeze.

Eren was so unbelievably happy, it hurt. “Thank you,” he told them, squeezing Levi tight. “I didn’t know that I needed this until now, but I did.”

Marco shot him a warm smile. “You’re a part of the family now. Anytime.”

Emotion, hot and painful closed tight around Eren’s throat. For a moment, he couldn’t speak. Family, huh? He hadn’t had one of those in a long time. It was a thought he seemed to have been having a lot lately. He blamed it on the fact that his next semester would be starting in a few months. Eren still had yet to decide if he would be going.

Levi squeezed his hand, glancing up at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Eren cleared his throat, giving an answering squeeze. “I’m just… really happy, that’s all.”

He softened, lifting a hand to brush some hair out of Eren’s eyes. “I’m glad. You deserve it.”

His arms tightened around Levi, holding him tighter still.

“We’re so old,” Jean complained, before swinging his head back to hit the arm rest of his chair with a thump. “This is supposed to be a party and we’re all laying around, half asleep.”

“Historia seems to be having a good time,” Petra remarked, glancing over at her prone form.

Ymir shrugged when she noticed their scrutiny. “It’s been a long year. She deserves a break.”

“We all do,” Bertholdt pointed out. He leaned his head back against Reiner’s thigh to glance up at him. “A lot has changed.”

“For the better, probably,” Reiner said, giving a small smile.

“No more Erwin,” Mikasa murmured.

“But who’s going to take his place?”

Eren glanced over at Annie at the words, before looking back at Levi. He was frowning, brow furrowed. “We’ll figure it out,” Eren said, when no one else offered any answer. “Levi will make sure that someone good takes over this time.”

Levi blinked at the sound of his name. He looked up, meeting Eren’s eyes. “I will,” he nodded, after a pause. “you’ll all still have jobs.”

“As if we’re worried about that,” Jean snorted. “We can steal if we really need to. I’ve done it before.”

He raised an eyebrow when he was fixed with a few questioning stares. “What? Don’t act like none of you have considered becoming a ‘villain.’ It certainly has its perks.”

Levi smirked. “It does.” He ran a hand through the hair at the back of Eren’s neck, eyelids lowering as he stared into green eyes. “You get photographers that throw themselves into danger to chase after you.”

Eren swallowed. “You get a lot of those?”

“None as persistent as you,” he teased, before leaning closer to steal a quick kiss. It wasn’t nearly enough.

Eren bit back a growl, pouting into his shoulder. Levi chuckled and gave his head a consoling pat. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was definitely evil.

Historia sat up, fast enough to send her reeling against Ymir’s chest for a few long moments. “Cake!” She finally managed to say, pointing at them with wide eyes. “Did we have the cake yet?”

“No, it’s still in the kitchen,” Marco told her, fighting a smile.

“Oh.” She blinked slowly. “Why is it in the kitchen and not in my stomach?”

Ymir snorted. “I’ll go grab it if you promise to stay here.”

Historia’s lips pursed as she thought that over. “Alright,” she finally said. She fixed Ymir with a look of drunken determination. “If you don’t, I’ll just shift and exploit your weaknesses.”

Her eyes rolled as she reached over to tickle her sides. “You can’t shift, you little monster, you’re already my weakness.”

“Ymir!” Historia giggled. She let out a surprised squeak when she was tipped backwards, cheeks filled with even more color than before. Ymir pressed a kiss to her nose before she laid her back down against the floor.

“Stay,” she said sternly, pointing a finger at Historia. She shot a glare at them all when she saw them looking, before retreating back into the kitchen with flushed cheeks.

Marco smiled. “I like her.”

“Not as much as I do,” Historia huffed, squinting over at him. “she’s mine.”

He held his hands up with a soft laugh.

Jean leaned forward, unable to help it. “But what if she’s ours too?”

“She’s mine,” Historia repeated stubbornly, arms crossed.

“Levi is her boss though,” he pointed out. “that means she’s his employee. Which means that she’s also his.”

She floundered, staring between the two of them in shock. Slowly, her eyes began to fill.

“Now you’ve done it,” Levi muttered.

Ymir returned, cake in hand. She staggered when Historia slammed into her, nearly sending the platter to the floor. Bertholdt hurried over to grab it from her. “What—?”

“Ymir!” Historia sniffled, staring up at her with wet cheeks. “You’re mine, right?”

She stared in shock at the sight, mouth open. Historia’s shoulders hitched on a soft sob at the silence. “Shit, no, don’t cry.” Ymir wrapped her arms around her. Her eyes screamed revenge as she glared at all of them. “I’m yours.”

“Jean said you were Levi’s,” she sniffled, clinging tightly. “Did you bring cake?”

“Jean’s going to die tonight, don’t worry,” Ymir said darkly. She pulled back some to wipe away Historia’s tears, touch gentle. “The cake is on the table. I’ll cut you a piece, okay?”

She nodded, legs folding under Ymir’s gentle coaxing. A blanket was draped around her shoulders, and she stared after her girlfriend with a miserable expression.

“You’re a dead man,” Ymir hissed at Jean. She cut a slice of cake off, before quickly returning to where Historia sat.

Marco shook his head. “You just couldn’t leave it alone, could you?”

“It was funny!” Jean complained, looking pale. “I didn’t think she’d cry! You’ll protect me right?” He glanced down at him, eyes pleading. “Right, Marco? Hey, don’t ignore me, I might actually die—”

Marco leaned forward with a pleasant smile. “Could I get a slice of cake please, Bert?”

“Marco! This is cruel!”

Eren snorted, nosing at Levi’s neck. “You knew she’d cry, didn’t you?”

“She’s an emotional drunk,” he agreed, taking a slice of cake. He scooped up a piece, turning in Eren’s lap to feed it to him. Eren let out a happy hum, licking at his lips once he’d swallowed.

“That’s the best cake I’ve had in years.”

Marco shot him a beam at the compliment.

“Tell that to Historia,” Levi advised, giving him another piece. “It’ll get her to stop crying.”

Eren shot him a skeptical look. “Hey, Historia?” He said hesitantly. Ymir glared at him instantly.

“Yeah?” She sniffled.

“Thank you for the cake.” Eren gave her a wide smile. “It’s the best I’ve had in a long time.”

Historia blinked for a few long moments, before breaking out into the brightest smile Eren had ever seen on her. It practically glowed.

“Oh thank god,” Ymir muttered under the rush of overjoyed words that left her mouth.

“I’m so glad you like it, I was worried because I forgot to remind Marco to make it with love, and you know how important that is—well that and an actual oven—but it is really great, isn’t it? I’ll have to make more sometime.”

“Princess,” Ymir interrupted, holding up a forkful of cake.

Historia stared at it for a long moment, clearly torn between continuing and eating. Her stomach won in the end, and she fell back into devouring the dessert.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding,” Eren muttered.

Levi smirked, stealing the last bite of cake. “You’re welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will probably make a lot of you happy, I wonder if you can guess why ;)
> 
> Tell me what you thought?


	4. Fulfilled Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapter all of you have been looking forward to, and one that made me highly emotional to write (you'll see)

It was well past midnight when the others began to drift off in their seats. Historia, remarkably, wasn’t the first to submit to the exhaustion creeping over them all. She was still mumbling away when she was scooped up into Ymir’s arms. Her eyes were closed when she waved lazily at Eren, who was holding a dozing Levi in his own arms.

Eren had made sure not to drink too much, far from eager to experience the side effects some of the others would be feeling in the morning. If he was being honest, he was also a bit hesitant to take part in something that would lower the control he had over himself. He still didn’t trust himself around Levi. There was no telling what could trigger his fake memories, and being drunk would be far from helpful should it happen again.

“Are you staying?” Marco asked softly, careful not to wake up any of the others. Jean was snoring quietly from the arm chair, squeezed in beside Marco. Admittedly, he was more on top of him than anything else.

Eren considered it, glancing down at Levi’s peaceful face. As much as he wanted to make good on his boyfriend’s earlier promise of sex, he knew that rest would only help Levi heal. “Is there enough room?”

“Your room is still open; you can stay there.” He froze in place when Jean made a soft sound. Jean gave a slow stretch before curling back up into Marco’s chest, face pressed into his neck.

Eren bit back a laugh. “We’ll stay then. Should I try to wake the others?”

They looked over at where Reiner and Bertholdt had given up on the couch. They were sprawled out on the floor, limbs tangled under a blanket that just barely managed to cover them both. As much as they had tried to cram underneath it, Bertholdt’s feet still poked out from the bottom.

Mikasa and Annie had taken advantage of the added space to stretch out, though their position looked precarious at best. One of Mikasa’s arms dangled off of the couch, and her face was shoved underneath a pillow. Annie was crammed into the space behind her, legs tossed over Mikasa’s thighs.

Petra was the only one who looked semi-comfortable. She was small enough that simply curling up beneath a blanket on the loveseat was adequate for sleep.

“Leaving them is probably better,” Marco said, giving a shake of his head. “There’s no telling what mood they’ll be in. Mikasa can get pretty snappy if she’s woken up too early.” He shifted, getting a better grip on Jean’s body before standing. “I’ll go put him into bed and then start putting out water and pain meds.”

Eren hummed in answer, watching him head up the stairs. He turned his attention back to Levi, trying to figure out how to transport him to their own bed without waking him up. The wing was a problem. If Eren nudged it wrong, Levi would wake up—and in pain nonetheless.

He sighed.

As much as he didn’t want to, waking Levi up seemed to be the best decision when it came to avoiding that outcome.

He ran a hand through Levi’s hair, noting the longer length. His undercut was starting to grow out. The familiar almost-prickly texture of buzzed strands was beginning to be replaced with the softness of baby hairs instead. Eren wondered if it was intentional, or if it cutting it had simply slipped past Levi’s mind. His bet was on the latter.

“Levi,” Eren murmured. “it’s time to wake up.”

Levi let out a soft breath, eyelids fluttering when Eren rubbed at his back. He shifted, nuzzling further into his chest. “Hm?”

Eren couldn’t help but smile, eyes soft. “I just need you to walk to the bedroom, okay? Then you can go back to sleep. I don’t want to hurt your wing.”

He mumbled something indiscernible, shifting once more. A hand lifted to rub at tired eyes. “What time is it?” Levi rasped, blinking slowly at their surroundings.

“It’s a little after one,” Eren told him, glancing over at the clock hung by the bookshelf. “I figured we could stay here instead of driving back into the city. You need the rest.”

He made a sound of disagreement, back giving a soft pop when he stretched. Still, he fell back against Eren’s chest. A yawn was muffled into a hand. “When did I fall asleep?”

“I’m not sure.” Eren shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“No,” Levi decided, taking another look around. “No one threw up?”

He chuckled. “Not yet. We’ll see how it goes in the morning.”

The soft creak of the stairs caught both of their attention. Marco met their eyes with an apologetic smile, a bottle of pills in hand. “Hey,” he said softly. “Do you guys want some while I’m here?”

“Sure.” Levi took two capsules. He threw them back dry, before Eren could even offer to get him some water.

“What?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at Eren's disapproving look. 

“That’s not healthy.”

Levi snorted. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but not much has been very healthy lately.”

Eren eyes narrowed. “We’re going to change that,” he said firmly. “Erwin is gone and things can only get better from here. Your wing just has to heal first.”

He hummed, throwing his legs over Eren’s to stand. His uninjured wing flared, primaries quivering as he gave a long stretch. Levi looked far more relaxed when it was over, eyes heavy lidded and shoulders loose.

Eren desperately wanted to kiss him.

“Come on,” Levi rasped. “We should help hand out water to these troublemakers. Some buckets too, so they don’t throw up all over my carpet.”

He snorted, giving his own stretch. “The more you talk about it, the more the universe will be tempted to spite you.”

“Eren,” Levi said calmly, before reaching up to tug his head down by the front of his shirt.

“Yes?”

A hand lifted, flicking him square between the eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

He pouted, reeling back to rub at his forehead. He followed behind Levi as he headed into the kitchen, hand dropping back to his side. “You love me though, so who’s really ridiculous?”

“Still you,” Levi said, going on his tip toes to try and reach the metal mixing bowls someone had thought to put on the top shelf. He glowered darkly at the few inches of space between his hand and the lip of the stack.

Eren bit back a laugh, touching a hand to Levi’s side as he leaned over him. He grabbed the bowls, placing them into his boyfriend’s arms. “You’re lucky I’m so tall,” he joked. “you’ve got your own person ladder at your service.”

Levi shot him a look, instructing Eren to another cupboard that held several serving dishes. Honestly, he was going to need to have a talk with all of the tall idiots in the house. He shouldn’t need a stool to reach his own dishes. “I’ve never met a ladder that’s so fun to climb,” he said nonchalantly, turning back to the living room. He didn’t bother fighting a smirk when Eren took a beat too long to follow.

“That is so unfair,” Eren muttered as he placed a bowl next to Mikasa, Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt’s heads. One for each, in case they all had a case of morning sickness.

“You don’t want me to climb you, then?” Levi raised an eyebrow, putting a bowl of his own at Petra’s feet. “Pity. I was so looking forward to it.”

He groaned, moving back to his side to wrap arms around Levi’s waist. “You’re not doing a very good job of helping me stick to my decision of letting you sleep.”   

Levi couldn’t exactly do much about the hands slipping under his shirt, since he still had several bowls in his arms. Not that he wanted to do much about it in the first place. “Who ever said I wanted you to let me sleep?” He leaned back against Eren’s chest, angling his shoulders so that his broken wing didn’t take any of the weight.

Eren shifted restlessly, unable to help but rock his hips into the contact. “What about the others? They’ll hear.”

“I can soundproof the room,” Levi said casually. “How do you think I evaded Erwin for so long? It wasn’t just glamours and smoke.”

He bit down on the back of his neck, earning a soft hiss. “What about condoms and lube?”

“In the nightstand. Though I seriously doubt that the condoms in there will be able to stand up to your dick if your body decides to knot me again. Humans don’t really plan for that in production.”

Eren let out a soft growl, catching Levi’s hips in his hands to give a hard buck of his own. He couldn’t have cared less about the fact that they were surrounded by sleeping friends. “Are you sure?” He asked, voice already wrecked. “Your wing…”

Levi turned in his arms, eyes challenging. “I’m not fragile. So long as you don’t toss me onto my back and grab at my wings, I’ll be fine.”

“Alright.” He let out a short breath, eyes closing when he realized they were giving off light. His hands twitched against Levi’s hips, but he couldn’t pull him closer with the bowls still between them. “Go give the others the bowls. I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”

Levi tugged him down into a hot kiss, keeping an arm around the bowls while he fisted Eren’s shirt with his other hand. “I’ll hurry,” he murmured.

Eren growled, chasing after him with sharp nips of his teeth. “You better. I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist chasing after you if you don’t.”

* * *

Eren retreated to their bedroom while Levi headed up the stairs. He rummaged through the nightstand, pulling out the lube he found inside. He’d never looked through the furniture when he’d been on bedrest. After he’d found out that it was Levi’s room, he’d been unable to build up the courage to go through it. Now that he knew, he had to wonder when Levi had stocked the house. It had to have been before Eren had been kidnapped. Which meant Levi had had quite a long time to plan this. The thought had Eren’s lips curling in another eager growl, cock twitching against his thigh.

Reminded by the fact that he was still very much clothed, Eren got to work in shedding his shirt and jeans. He toed off his socks, adding them to the pile he’d made on one of the dressers. Levi might complain about the mess, but Eren didn’t have the patience required to fold them all.

By the time the door swung open, Eren was practically vibrating. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Jean that whatever Hitch had done to him had seemed to enhance all the animal instincts that had come with being able to shift into a wolf. At the sight of Levi, he could feel himself slipping into a mindset similar to when he’d remembered wanting to hurt. Only this time, he didn’t want to inflict pain.

He wanted to mark and claim; wanted to show Levi that his thoughtfulness was appreciated and not in vain. Levi had had plans when he’d stocked the nightstand, and Eren planned on making them come true.

“Eren!” Levi winced when, in Eren’s haste, his shoulder was slammed into the closed door. Still, his bandaged wing remained free of pressure.

“Sorry,” Eren rasped, mouthing at the skin behind his ear. He chased after the goosebumps that rose in his wake, teeth scraping against Levi’s neck. “You should do whatever magic you’re planning on doing while I can still think.”

Levi clutched at his shoulders, mouth falling open on a moan when Eren rocked his hips and bit down. “Fuck,” he said, already shaky as hot hands roamed over the skin of his back. His eyes closed, iris’ flashing a blue that was almost white. The familiar curtain of his magic fell down around them, tingling briefly against his skin. “Alright, it’s done.”

Eren snarled, lifting his head to steal Levi’s mouth. He was overwhelming to begin with when he put his mind to something. After so much time apart, Levi was losing to his attentions—and fast. He did his best when it came to keeping up with Eren’s hard kisses, distracted by the naked skin under his hands.

A finger caught into one of the two slits that were cut into the back of his shirt. Clearly having decided that wrestling Levi out of the fabric without injuring his wing would be too much work, Eren took one side between each hand. He wrenched them in opposite directions, tearing the fabric clear down the middle. Levi sucked in a sharp breath at the sound, arms lifting automatically when Eren began to yank what remained of his shirt off of his shoulders. He would have complained if he didn’t have other shirts in the dresser; if he wasn’t so turned on by Eren’s enthusiasm.     

Levi could feel the barely restrained strength in Eren’s tense shoulders. He wished he could fold his wings away and out of existence. It was something he’d often wanted as a child, but for far different reasons. This time, it was simply due to the fact that he could feel how badly Eren wanted to toss him back against the wall.

Levi’s hands dropped, setting to work on shoving his jeans to the floor. He urged Eren’s hands to his hips before wrapping his arms tight around his boyfriend’s shoulders. Eren seemed to get the hint. He lifted Levi up, groaning as if he was in great pain when legs wrapped around his waist.

“I know,” Levi soothed, biting a line down Eren’s throat. His hips rolled, cock slicking their stomachs with the fluid already leaking from the tip.

Eren moaned, palming at the globes of his ass. His fingers grazed Levi’s entrance, earning a shudder and a buck of hips. “Fuck,” he hissed.

“Eren,” Levi panted, as he pulled back to meet glowing green eyes. “get to the bed.”

Two long steps brought them to the edge of the mattress. Eren made to set Levi down before thinking better of it. He turned, coaxing Levi’s legs off of his waist to set his feet on the floor. A smile tugged at his mouth when Levi let out a whine of argument. It gave way to a startled moan when Eren sat down on the edge of the bed, took Levi’s hips in his hands, and swallowed him down in one slow slide.

Hands clutched at tanned shoulders. The color was a lighter shade than normal due to Eren’s many weeks spent inside in recovery--not that Levi had much time to miss the darker hue when Eren was busy driving him insane.

A hand left his hip only to return several moments later, this time wet with lube. Long digits slid between Levi’s cheeks to rub circles into his entrance. He moaned weakly, torn between thrusting forward into Eren’s mouth, and back against his taunting fingers. “Eren…”

A hum sounded around his arousal, setting off a whole new wave of heat deep in Levi’s gut. Eren looked up at him, mouth slick with spit and glowing eyes glassy. He was beautiful; it was completely unfair.

“What do you want, Levi?” Eren rasped, pulling off of his cock only to paint wet kisses down the side.

“You,” Levi gave a buck of his hips. “isn’t it obvious?”

A smirk was his answer. Eren rubbed hard circles into his skin, just barely pressing inside. He sucked hard at the tip of his cock, until Levi’s toes were curling with the pleasure. “I’m going to need a better answer than that, sweetheart. Of course, if you want to stay like this instead…” he shrugged, pretending to get comfortable. “I have all day.”

Levi hissed, wing flaring in outrage. “Eren,” he glared, yanking at brown strands. All he got for his troubles was the loss of Eren’s touch. Slick fingers wrapped around his wrist, prying his fingers free of hair. Eren smiled sweetly, belaying the tight grip he had on Levi’s hands as they were held against his sides.

“Naughty boys don’t get rewards, you know?” He bit down on Levi’s hip, tongue flicking out against the bone in a hot stripe. “You wanted something when you put that lube in the nightstand. The condoms too. All it takes is a few words and then you’ll have it.”

Levi’s mouth set in a rebellious line. His eyes shifted to the side, clearly torn between pride and arousal.

Eren hummed, squeezing his wrists before letting go. It was obvious that there was a silent demand there. He didn’t want Levi to move; was warning him that there would be consequences if he did. “Come on, precious, is it really that hard?” Eren slid an arm around Levi’s lower back, ushering him closer still. His goal was obvious when he began mouthing at peaked nipples.

Levi hissed softly when sharp teeth came into play. Eren took advantage of his open mouth to edge three fingers inside. Unsure of what the purpose of that was, Levi sucked automatically, if albeit a bit distracted.

“Good boy,” Eren murmured, dragging nails down Levi’s back.

His back arched as he moaned around Eren’s fingers. His hands flew to his boyfriend’s shoulders, needing something to hold on to amidst all the sensation. Eren seemed to understand, because he didn’t chide Levi for moving.

It had been obvious from their first time having sex that Levi liked things rough—and that Eren had certain… urges… that could more than meet that desire. Weird wolf-induced hormones counted, right?

He slipped his fingers free from Levi’s mouth, giving a comforting hum when a whine sounded through the loss. Eren’s eyes softened when he met glassy blue. Levi looked overwhelmed, not to mention a mess. There was spit on his chin now, cheeks flushed and mouth wet. His hair was falling into his eyes, strands sticking up in strange angles that Eren knew he’d been the cause of.

“Say it,” Eren urged, using his wet fingers to give Levi’s cock a slow stroke. His other hand rubbed up against Levi’s entrance, returning to the teasing circles that had had his boyfriend so impatient before. “Come on, Levi, just a few words and I’m all yours.”

He could tell when Levi broke. A sharp exhale left parted lips, and a groan that wracked his entire frame followed when Eren bit down on his chest. “Eren…”

“Yes, love?”

Levi swallowed, eyes shifting to the side in an effort to escape that gaze. “Please.”

Eren hummed. For a minute, Levi thought that it was finally over. Of course, he was wrong.

“Please what?” He prompted.

Levi wondered if Eren knew that he was currently planning his death. He hissed, defiance shooting hot through his veins all over again. “You—!”

Eren’s eyes rolled. He picked Levi up, depositing him onto his hands and knees. He shoved pale thighs apart, settling between them before Levi could fully comprehend what was happening. Hands slid over the swell of Levi’s ass. Eren couldn’t resist pinching the flesh, teasing color into the skin.

“You wanted something, Levi.” He pulled a hand back, delivering a hard smack. Levi jolted, letting out a surprised moan. “Tell me what it was.”

Levi stared down at the bedsheets, thoughts racing. “I…” Another slap hit his other cheek. He yelped. “Christ, okay!”

Eren’s head tilted to the side. He rubbed the sting from Levi’s skin, eyebrows raised. “Okay?”

His eyes rolled. “Please, fuck me, Eren.” Levi bit his lip, staring at his hands in consideration. “The pain is good too.” 

Two blows rained down at him at once, scattering any embarrassment he might have felt. Levi loved him for it.

“Good boy,” Eren practically purred. He pushed a finger into Levi’s entrance, _finally_ giving him what he wanted. He wasted no time in curling his finger, earning a shout. “I’ll make you feel good, Levi. Just relax for me.”

Levi’s head hung between his shoulders, mouth open in ragged pants. His skin felt too hot, tightening over his bones as he neared orgasm. “Fuck,” he whispered, forehead dropping to press against his arm. He pushed his hips back, rocking onto Eren’s fingers.

“So pretty,” Eren murmured, apparently ignorant to the fact that he was driving Levi fucking _insane_. He slid a second finger in alongside the first. “You’re so tight, has it really been that long?” His fingers twisted, earning a broken sound. “Did you play with yourself while I was gone, Levi?”

A whimper was the answer, knees shifting restlessly. He jolted, cock twitching against his stomach when Eren gave a hard smack to his ass, clearly unhappy with the silence. “…yes.”

Eren grinned, giving another hit just because Levi seemed to enjoy them so much. “Did you imagine this when you stocked our nightstand?”

“Not this exactly,” Levi let out a soft huff of air. It was unfair how controlled Eren sounded. Wasn’t Levi supposed to be the one keeping things together? “I just missed you.”

He softened, leaning down to press soft kisses to Levi’s back. A third finger filled his boyfriend, wrist twisting. “I missed you too.”

Levi shivered. Emotion closed tight around his throat at the words. He swallowed, glancing back at Eren. “Get inside of me,” he tried to demand.

Eren pulled his fingers free without a word, pretending that Levi’s voice hadn’t trembled and broken. “Do you want me to try the condom?”

He sat up, twisting to face Eren. “No.” Levi pushed him back against the headboard. He picked up the lube, before crawling into Eren’s lap to slick his cock. Warm hands settled on his hips as Levi slid down onto his boyfriend. His head tipped back, eyes closed and mouth open at the feeling. He panted when his thighs hit Eren’s, nails digging into Eren’s shoulders.

A wounded sound was muffled against his throat. Eren’s hands roamed his body restlessly, teeth worrying at the skin of his neck. “Fuck, Levi, you feel so good. Is it okay if I—fuck, can I—?”

Levi pulled back some to look at him. Eren looked wrecked. It made him feel a bit better about his own state. “Do it,” he rasped.

Eren growled, baring sharp teeth. His hands clutched Levi’s hips tight enough to bruise. Despite all the brutality he could see in those glowing eyes, Eren’s thrusts were not unkind. Where Levi had expected hard and fast, Eren was surprisingly docile. He met Levi’s ass with fluid thrusts, circling his hips enough to elicit choked moans from Levi’s throat.

“Mine,” Eren rumbled, as he lapped at Levi's arched neck. He bit down on Levi’s adam’s apple, letting another growl out into the skin. “All mine.”

Levi gasped, breath hot in his throat. “Yours,” he said, leaning his forehead against Eren’s. Their hips slowed, foregoing the earlier thrusts for slow rolls. He touched a hand to Eren’s chest, feeling tears burn his eyes. “Mine.”

Something registered in the beast in Eren’s eyes. They softened, casting shadows over both their faces. Despite the glow, it did not hurt to look at them like it might hurt to stare at a lamp. It was a soft light, gentle on Levi’s own eyes. “Yours,” Eren agreed, laying a hand over Levi’s.

They found completion like that, clutching at one another as their skin slid together. Levi was the first to fall over the edge, an almost shocked sound escaping his throat as he spilled between them both. Eren groaned against his mouth, hands wrapping tight around his waist as he bucked his hips. Levi was relieved when he felt a beginning swell against his rim. It was a strange feeling, one he wasn’t used to just yet, but it was welcome. Especially now, when he felt like he might fall apart if they separated for even a moment.

Eren made a pained sound, hands lifting to cradle Levi’s face in his hands. His thumbs brushed tears away—not that it helped all that much. They just kept coming. “Did I do something wrong?” Eren panicked. “Is it the knot? I’m so sorry, I thought you wanted it when you said you didn’t want to use the condom—”

“Eren,” Levi said hoarsely, meeting his eyes. He gave a wobbly smile, lifting his hands to clutch at Eren’s wrists. He kept them there, pressing into warm hands. Those hands felt safe. He’d missed them after Erwin’s defeat; had spent hours wishing they would hold him and tell him that everything was alright. They hadn’t been able to at the time. Eren had been in recovery and hadn’t remembered him. A sob built in Levi’s throat at the reminder. “I’m just… I’m glad you’re back.”

Eren let a long exhale. He rested his forehead against Levi’s once more, thumbing away more tears. “I’m glad I’m back too.”

His body shook with the second sob, enough to hurt his injured wing. Eren’s eyes shot to the bandaged appendage. “No, hey, shh,” his hands slid away from Levi’s face only for his arms to wrap tight around his back. “It’s okay.” He ran a hand through Levi’s hair, cradling him to his chest. “I’ve got you and it’s okay.”

Levi clutched at him, sobbing into Eren’s neck. He hated it. Hated how weak it made him feel. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He’d wanted to enjoy their first time together after Eren’s kidnapping and Erwin’s death. Instead, he’d ended up an utter mess. “I’m sorry.”

Eren made a sound of argument. “Don’t ever apologize for letting me know how you feel.” He squeezed Levi gently, hand rubbing soft circles into his back. “I know this has been hard on you. I wish I had never gone to the lab that day and that I’d been there for you when you had to fight Erwin, but neither of us can change the past.” Eren smiled sadly, pressing a kiss to the side of Levi’s head. “We’re together now, and that’s all that matters. All we can do is move forward and be happy, despite everything that he did to try to make that not happen.”

Levi sniffled, pulling back some to rub at his nose. He grabbed for his torn shirt—which Eren had managed to toss onto the nightstand lamp—cleaning his face some. “I’m so sexy,” he said sardonically. “dripping snot and red faced. I bet you want to fuck me all over again.”

Eren stroked his cheek. He looked so tender when he met Levi’s eyes. It made Levi hurt inside. “You’re still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Eren murmured. He ran his thumb over Levi’s bottom lip, before dipping his head to press a soft kiss there. “I love you so much.”

It was such an unexpected compliment that Levi couldn’t do much more than gape and flush all the way up to his ears. At the sound of his chuckle, Levi’s good wing wrapped around his shoulder to hide his face. “Shut up,” he huffed, willing away the heat in his face. “Sometimes I hate you.”

Eren laughed. His hand rose to coax his wing back with a few gentle scratches in all the right places. In moments, Levi was lax against his chest and practically purring. “No you don’t.” He squeezed Levi’s shoulders, before pushing some of Levi's hair back out of his face. “You love me, and I love you too.”

He sighed, softening at that. “I do,” Levi said quietly. “I really do. That’s what scares me so much.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Eren pulled a blanket over Levi’s shoulders when he began to shiver. “What do I have to do to convince you of that?”

Levi gave a hopeless shrug. “I don’t know. I guess… it’ll just take time to sink in that you’re safe and here with me. I’m more worried about my ability to keep you that way.”

“We’ll train more,” Eren decided. “For real this time, no games. You can teach me everything you know, minus the magic. That should help some, shouldn't it? I mean, no one has been able to beat you. That’s why Erwin was so desperate, right?”

Levi blinked in surprise. He was silent for a moment too long, and Eren began to backtrack.

“I mean, it was just an idea, we don’t have to do it! Sorry, I just thought—”

“Eren,” he interrupted.

Eren hesitated. “Yeah?”

He wasn’t ready for the firm kiss that followed. His mouth was half open in surprise when Levi pulled back, hands on his cheeks. Eren was even further star struck at the wide smile he was graced with. “That’s a perfect idea. You’re a genius.”

Eren blushed, shifting slightly. It reminded them both, abruptly, that they were still connected. “Shit, sorry,” he whimpered, unable to help the small circles his hips made.

“Less of a genius,” Levi amended, trembling in his arms. He caught his bottom lip between his teeth, head tipping back on a moan. “Then again…”

Wide green eyes stared up at him as Levi reached back to run fingers along his rim. A simple press had Eren’s hips giving an involuntary buck. Levi nearly doubled over when the action made his vision go white. “On second thought,” he said, still panting. “not such a bad idea after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this entire month has been shitty on top of shitty so I would appreciate it if you'd tell me what you thought ^^'
> 
> Poor Levi is not nearly as okay as he appears


	5. Unpredictable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is late, I've been super busy and forgot to post this chapter. Future updates will be more spaced out, as my best friend flew over from europe to spend the summer with me

The following morning found Levi with a limp and blooming bruises. However, there was no denying that he was far better off compared to the other occupants of the house. Levi smirked as Jean stumbled into the kitchen, a sympathetic Marco in tow. “Rough night?”

Jean groaned. He collapsed into a kitchen chair before face planting into the table. “Ung, I hate you.”

“Shouldn’t you hate Historia for making the drinks?” Eren asked, before putting a plate of waffles down in front of Jean. He was in a good mood, all smiles after the party and Levi’s following… present. Upon waking, Levi had taken one look at his face and had rolled his eyes.

“Jean is already on Ymir’s bad side,” Marco explained, before thanking Eren for his own plate. “he’s tryin’ not to make it worse.”

Eren raised an eyebrow at Levi in silent query as he held a basket of bacon up. Levi gave a nod, before picking out a few pieces. Satisfied with Levi having had his pick, Eren put the dish on the table. “That’s probably smart. Ymir can be scary, but Historia is a whole other level.”

“Is that bacon?” Reiner asked from the doorway. He was shirtless, and displaying an impressive amount of muscle.

“Yup,” Eren said cheerfully. “It’s on the table. I’m making waffles too.”

Jean lifted his head, only to squint at Reiner. “Can’t you put a shirt on?”

Reiner raised an eyebrow and took the seat across from Jean. “We’re all friends and it’s breakfast. I’m taking advantage while I can.”

Jean muttered something into the table. Eren smirked into his glass of orange juice. His advanced hearing caught every single word of Jean’s rant against ‘ideal human specimens that made everyone else look bad’.

Marco gave a consoling pat to his boyfriend’s shoulder.

Petra was the next to join them, awakened by the growing smell of food. Admittedly, she looked far more rested than the rest of them. “Are those waffles?”

Eren nodded, and gave her a plate.

“You’re an angel,” she sighed, before taking the bar stool next to Levi. She raised an eyebrow at the bruises ringing his wrists. “Rough night?”

He smirked. His sweater fell off a shoulder when he reached for his juice, revealing an array of hickeys on the unscarred side of his neck. “You could say that. Had to wrestle a wild dog out of my room.”

“It’s too early for weird sex kinks,” Jean huffed, before risking a bite of waffle. He perked up some when it settled well, and began digging into his meal with gusto.

“You’re just jealous because you spent the night drooling in Marco’s lap instead of riding that cowboy,” Eren retorted. He handed plates to Annie and Mikasa, who were the next to filter into the room.

Marco blushed, though he couldn’t help but laugh into a hand at Jean’s expression.

“Marco!” He complained. “Don’t laugh at his stupid jokes!”

“Sorry, love.” Marco ran a hand through Jean’s hair, gaze indulgent. “You’re too easy to tease.”

Jean huffed. If there was a way to sulk and eat, he was doing it.

“Anyone heard from Historia?” Eren asked, leaning against the bar.

“It was silent when we came down,” Marco said, giving a shake of his head. He glanced up at the ceiling. “She drank a lot last night, maybe we should go check on them.”

“She’ll be fine.” Levi cleaned his fingers of grease.

“I can’t tell if you’re saying that because you’re a hard ass or not,” Jean muttered.

Reiner smirked. “Probably both.”

“One of these days he’s going to kick your ass for making fun of him,” Annie warned.

“I’ll record it,” Eren grinned. He ruffled Levi’s hair. Despite Levi’s warning glare, he pressed an affectionate kiss to his temple.          

Levi pinched Eren’s side, and earned a startled yelp in return. “All in good time.”

Jean fell silent. He seemed to realize that he had made the list of three very dangerous people. Marco gave a pat to his hand as he went over the likelihood of his death, while the rest of them cut in to offer their opinions on how he would die.

Reiner was well into a theory involving Levi, Historia, and Ymir all ganging up on him, when Historia herself pranced into the kitchen.

She looked fresh out of the shower, hair bound back in a damp bun and body sporting new clothes. She looked at Eren with bright eyes, and offered a grin when she saw the waffle maker on the counter. “Have any batter left?”

He nodded, looking a bit shell shocked as he set the batter to cook.

Ymir trailed into the kitchen, looking less alert. She rubbed at her eyes, mouth sporting a sleepy scowl. “You’re too fast in the morning. Give me some of your energy.”

Historia laughed, before stretching up to press a kiss to her cheek. She pulled Ymir to the last two seats at the kitchen table. They all stared at her as she poured herself a glass of orange juice, munched on a piece of bacon, and didn’t make a sound of pain once.

“What is wrong with you?” Jean demanded, instantly earning the ire of Ymir. “Why are you okay right now?”

She blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“They’re wondering why you’re not collapsed on the floor after all the alcohol you drank last night,” Levi elaborated, saving Jean from further stupidity.

“Oh.” Historia’s eyes cleared. “I just have a really good tolerance. I don’t get hangovers.”

“So unfair.” Jean groaned, and slumped back against the table.

Eren snorted. He plated a waffle and placed it in front of Historia before going back to start Ymir’s. “That explains a lot.”

“Speaking of which…” Her eyes narrowed at Jean. The fork in her hands lifted menacingly. “You made me cry last night.”

He paled. “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t know you would get emotional!”

Historia let out a disgruntled sound. Her arms crossed, and she flicked a glance over at Ymir.

“Now?” She asked.

Historia gave a firm nod. “Now.”

Ymir’s fingers lit up. Before Jean could pull away, she had her hand on his shoulder. He let out a sharp cry, and then it was over. She wiggled her fingers at him, already back in her seat and looking smug. “Shock therapy. Fun stuff, huh?”

Jean rubbed at his skin. “Fuck, that hurt.”

“Now you know why Historia is so scary,” Eren gave Ymir her waffle. “Not only does she have her powers at her disposal, she also has Ymir’s.”

“Think twice about making me cry again, asshole.” Historia dug into her waffle, need for revenge over. Ymir was clearly satisfied with the fact that she was happy, and she dug into her own food as well.

“These kids are something else,” Petra murmured.

Levi snorted. “You could say that again.”

* * *

With breakfast done, they went their separate ways. Jean and Marco returned upstairs for further rest, while Historia and Ymir headed into the city to restock the kitchen. It was through them that Eren learned Levi was paying for everything. The house, the food, the entertainment… Levi didn’t have to do any of it, yet he was working so hard to create a safe space while everyone adjusted to the fall of the old Titan.

He’d even installed a gaming system into the living room. It was something Eren had taken advantage of before, in his recovery. He realized now, that there was a reason why it was stocked with all of his favorite games. It hadn’t sunk in when he had lost his memories, but it was obvious that Levi had put care into every object in the house. He’d done his best to make Eren comfortable, even when he had hurt Levi so badly for forgetting him.  

“Why do you look so sad?” Levi chided. He bumped Eren’s hip gently with his own. “Surely it’s not the dishes putting that expression on your face.”

He blinked down at his soapy hands, before handing Levi a clean plate. They’d claimed dish duty since Eren had made the food. Levi was drying, while he washed. “No, it’s not that. I just…” Eren sighed, before rinsing off his hands. He turned the water off, and moved to begin putting away the dishes Levi had dried off. “I’m starting to realize everything that you did for me, even when my memories were messed up.”

Levi draped the dish towel over the side of the sink. “That made you sad?”

“Well, not your actions. It was just the thought of you still trying so hard even when you weren’t sure if I would ever be the same again.”

He reached out, catching Eren by one of his belt loops. He reeled him in, head tipping back to meet Eren’s eyes. “If you say you think you don’t deserve it, I may have to take back my promise on not fighting until I’m healed.”

Eren frowned. He rested his hands on the counter, bracketing Levi’s body on either side. “It just makes me sad to think of you doing all these things and being alone.”

A hand lifted, cupping Eren’s cheek. Levi sighed when Eren leaned into it. His smile was weary. “Weren’t you the one that said we should do our best to move on and be happy? I did those things to make sure you were okay. Don’t try to tell me that you wouldn’t have done the same if our roles were reversed.”

A throat cleared behind them, cutting off any of the words that Eren might have said. He stood up straight, turning to look at the doorway. Mikasa gave an awkward smile when their eyes met. She was dressed now, in a tank top and workout pants, with her hair pulled back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just wondering if you wanted to come to that clearing I told you about? It’d just be Annie and the three of us. Petra said something about needing to look into some new files, and Reiner and Bertholdt are playing games.”

“The witch must have had a break through,” Levi muttered. He raised an eyebrow when Eren looked at him; face blank. It was clear that he didn’t care either way.

“Sure,” Eren said, giving a small smile. “Just let me grab a towel or something in case I shift.”

She nodded, before retreating down the hall. “We’ll be outside, just join us when you’re ready.”

Eren turned back to Levi. He touched a hand to his shoulder. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I know it’s probably boring when you can’t do anything.”

He shrugged. “I don’t really care, I like watching you.” Levi’s mouth twisted into a frown when he read Eren’s conflicted expression. “You don’t want me to come, though, do you?”

“It’s not that, I just…” He looked away, brow furrowed in thought. Eren ran a hand through his hair. The action left several strands sticking up at odd angles. “I’m worried. Your wing is injured, and this will be the first time I’ve shifted around you since my memories were messed with.”

“You think you’ll attack me,” Levi deduced. His expression was unreadable as he leaned back against the sink counter, arms crossed.

“I don’t know what I’ll do,” Eren confessed. He turned back to Levi to place his hands on his shoulders. “I really don’t want to hurt you, Levi.”

His gaze was level against Eren’s imploring green. “Do you really think I can’t protect myself? Don’t tell me you forgot what happened when you tried to kill me.”

Eren’s chest twisted at the reminder. He could remember the confusion and the pain; the anger and the overwhelming need to get away from it all. “I don’t think you’re weak, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I know you still have your magic, but you could be injured further if you’re taken by surprise.” He shook faintly. His eyes glowed under the emotion closing tight around his throat. “I don’t want to risk it, not when things are going so well. Please, Levi, just… not until your wing heals? For my peace of mind?”

Levi absorbed this slowly. Finally, he let out a sigh. His arms dropped back to his sides. “You big mutt,” he muttered, before he stepped closer to pull him into an embrace. “you don’t have to be so scared. No one is going to let you become the monster Erwin wanted you to be.”

Eren pushed his face into Levi’s neck, ignoring how awkward the angle was. “I just want to keep you safe,” he whispered, as he held Levi tight against his chest. “especially from me.”

Levi let out a soft hum. “I understand.”

“You do?” He pulled back some to scan Levi’s face for any anger.

“I do,” Levi confirmed. He gave a faint smile. “I’ll stay here. I have some calls to make, anyways. I need to get things rolling with the new Titan.”

“Alright.” Eren pressed a kiss to his forehead, shoulders slumped in relief. “I’ll see you later then?”

“I’ll be here.” Levi pushed him away gently, gaze soft. “Go on. Train with your friends and have fun. They’ve missed you.”

He nodded, before turning away to grab the towel he’d told Mikasa he’d bring. It burned him to be so scared over using his powers around Levi. It wasn’t fair. He missed being able to rough house with Levi just for the fun of it. He knew that, even though his boyfriend might not admit it, Levi liked his wolf form. The few times they’d escaped into the woods before Erwin had kidnapped Eren, they’d cuddled often. It had made Levi feel safe to be curled up against his fur, Eren’s bulk dwarfing his small size.

Eren was determined to regain the ability to give him that once more—but slowly. He didn’t want to attack Levi again. He’d work up to being around his boyfriend while shifted. It’d just take time.

He hated it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tell me what you thought?


End file.
